Letters of Note is a blog that shares letters from a book of the same name, but you never have to buy the book! The collection includes over 900 interesting letters from many different sources such as Leonardo da Vinci's 's job application, a letter from Steve Albini to the band Nirvana, and Virginia Woolf's suicide letter. Start from the archives to find over 900 more examples sorted in different ways such as typed/handwritten, by date, name, or correspondence type. Or click in the sidebar to access most popular or even view a random letter. Most letters include an image along with a short description of the context of the correspondence included. Letters include the original language so be sure to read for yourself before sharing with students.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Find letters from authors to read when studying their novels. Choose letters from different time periods to share with students as an authentic look at life during that time (primary sources!). Have students share what they learned using a tool such as Zeemaps, reviewed here. Zeemaps allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location (on a map) where the story takes place. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a president, famous scientist, or nearly any other real or fictitious person.

Collect and curate media and links with Minilogs. Create one short URL to share multiple URLs. Make your own playlists. Explore the list created by others in Minilogs. Save videos and audio files from YouTube, Vimeo, Sound Cloud, Spotify, and more. This tool can also be used as a bookmarklet to keep interesting blog posts or other items from the Internet. Along with each URL, Minilogs also shows a thumbnail and allows you to easily write notes next to each of the images. Publish your playlists on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus. Collaborate with your friends or colleagues on Minilogs. Watch the video for more information on how to use Minilogs and explore the gallery of Minilogs to see how they work. Note: VERY few of the topics in the public "Explore" galleries are of educational value. We do not recommend sending classes of students to explore. While most of the Minilog videos currently shared on the site are hosted on YouTube, a few were on Vimeo. You appear to be able to use any content that you wish. So if YouTube is blocked at your school, there are many other options to use.

In the Classroom

Create a class Minilog account to keep a running account of useful articles, videos, and items for use in class. Add content that the students find and discuss in class. Use for students to keep a running account of current events in the classroom, science news and the impact on society, and more. Minilogs could be used in music, art, government, and nearly any other subject. Create Minilogs about current (or past) presidents. Create a Minilog to share a specific art style or music genre. Collect videos on a certain topic, even from several content video sites like Khan Academy to "flip" your class with an entire playlist of options. The possibilities are endless. Challenge students to create their own Minilogs in cooperative learning groups or independently. If you are teaching about media literacy or advertising bias, Minilogs are the perfect way for students to create curated collections of videos with accompanying notes.

In the Classroom

This is an excellent resource for gifted students as well as students interested in viewing high quality college level course material. Browse through topics of interest for your AP or IB classroom and use selected videos for viewing on your interactive whiteboard (or projector). Share a link on your class webpage for students to view at home. Teachers of gifted may want to suggest that students form small cohorts to explore one of the course of particular interest to them. Music and art history teachers will find rich materials to include in their high school courses, as well.

Chordify is an online music service that transforms music from YouTube, a sound file, or SoundCloud into chords. Explore the library or upload your music to begin. As the music plays, view the progressions of the song through the chords as you learn to play the notes. Choose the Diagrams option to view diagrams for guitar, ukelele, and piano. Download the diagrams in PDF format after free registration on the site. Learn music theory through a "chords on" activity!This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

This site is perfect for use in any music classroom. Demonstrate how Chordify works on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use this site for teaching any piece of music. Share a link with students for practice at home. Have students upload their own work to share with other students. If your school blocks YouTube, you could share the link with your music students on your class website to try at home.

Bring science to life with this free community of Science Workshop ideas. The site may not look exciting, but the activities bring real hands-on learning to science. Browse a few activities to get the idea. After registering, click on the CSW Projects and Activities tab. Search the activities by project type (e.g. projectiles, music, woodshop) or by STEM content. Workshop ideas are either video or downloaded instructions with images. Most use simple, inexpensive materials.

In the Classroom

Use these activities to create contraptions for students to manipulate in class. As students use a manipulative, collect their questions about what they observe or wonder about the contraption's motion and characteristics. Students can research the science behind the object or motion. Use class discussion to create understanding about basic scientific principles. Be sure to include a link to this site on your classroom computer or website. Students can use these activities to teach concepts to other students in their class. Many of these activities make great demonstrations as an introduction to a science concept and for uncovering student misconceptions. Expand what you ask students to do by using creative writing, reading, creating Infographics, or learning correct ways to research and report findings about the subject matter.

Next Vista offers Learning videos for teachers looking for alternatives to YouTube. At the time of this review, they offered over 1,000 videos (most useful for in the classroom). Videos are made by teachers and/or students. Search by three main topics: Light Bulbs, Global View, or Seeing Service. Better yet, use the right sidebar to search by topic: Math, Science, World Languages, History & Culture, Performing Arts, and more.Next Vista offers an extensive collection of career videos to use as a resource for exploring and discovering career opportunities. View videos directly on site or share using the link or embed code provided. Throughout the school year, Next Vista hosts video creation contests for students and teachers. Submit your own videos less than 5 minutes in length using directions provided. They even offer small prizes for winners.

In the Classroom

Explore the various topics to share with your students. In the math section, share the "How to Show Your Work" video on your projector or interactive whiteboard. There are useful videos in all sections, offered at a variety of levels. Bookmark and save this site for use throughout the year for student and teacher created videos. Challenge students to create a video to submit for one of the site's contests; who knows, they may win!

This very interesting site offers a musical look at the amount of time between finishers in several different Olympic events such as Alpine Skiing and Bobsledding. View each event and the winning time along with dots on a timeline representing the next finisher's times. Click the play icon to hear a tone representing each contestant crossing the finish line. This is an excellent visual and audio display of how close some events really are!This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

View this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector and listen together to the different spacings of finishes by event. Challenge students to create timelines of finishes for other Olympic events (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Capzles (reviewed here).

My Pop Studio is a creative play experience that strengthens critical thinking skills about television, music, magazines and online media directed at youth. Some of the activities are geared towards girls, but many could be used with any teenager. Choose from four opportunities to learn more about mass media: Music, TV, Magazines, or Digital. Choose a studio to begin. Registration is optional but allows you the opportunity to save progress within activities. Go behind the scenes to think about the meaning of song lyrics: how songs and media sell items and ideas. Think about how magazines alter images by viewing before and after images. Be sure to check out the section for parents and the teachers portion of the site for ideas to use the site as well as lesson plans and supplemental activities for download.

In the Classroom

This site would be perfect for use with an after school program directed at teenagers or as part of a unit on propaganda and media literacy. Use lessons and activities to inspire debate and discussion on the role of media in society and especially its effect on young girls. Talk about the impact of advertising on our ideas of what matters. Include this as part of a character education or consumerism unit. Use as an independent in-class activity for girls in the classroom. Allow students to explore the site then challenge students to create a presentation using Prezi, reviewed here, to explore issues related to media literacy.

GE Focus Forward offers a series of 30 three-minute videos featuring stories about innovators. Directed by award-winning documentary film makers, the films range in topics from a "Journey Under the Sea" to a look at the "Secrets of Trees." Hover over any film icon to view a short description of the topic. Click to begin. Share films using social networking buttons within the film. Copy the embed code to embed on any website or blog. Videos are hosted on Vimeo, which is accessible in most schools.

In the Classroom

Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Have students explore this site independently or in small groups. There is one film about sanitation that refers to "poop," so you may want to avoid classroom giggles from less mature students by setting the tone for scientific viewing. Use as any part of a career unit, as a look at explorers and innovators, or when discussing character education. Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice. Challenge students to choose a topic to further explore and create a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here.

Just as the name says, Online Voice Recorder allows you to record your voice from your computer and save the file. With no membership required, this is a free and simple recording treasure! Simply push the record button and follow screen prompts to ALLOW the application access to your computer's microphone. Talk as long as desired. Then listen to the recorded playback. Trim and edit the length using easy sliders as desired. Save your finished version in mp3 format using the link.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Have students practice spelling words orally, record speeches, practice reading fluency, and much more using Online Voice Recorder. After recording, allow students to listen to the playback and reflect upon the quality of their work. Do before and after recordings of students to share with parents during conferences to demonstrate reading progress. Have students record weekly summaries for what has happened in your class to share on your class website or blog (you will have to upload the files). Record weekly or daily homework assignments and share as a voice recording on your website. Save file space by replacing old files with new ones. Online Voice Recorder would be an excellent resource for recording and sharing more complicated directions for projects and assignments (adding you voice intonation and cues!). Your weaker readers and ESL/ELL students may do better with a combination of written AND auditory directions. Provide the link on your class website for students to use at home for additional practice in spelling, reading, practicing reports, and more. Share this site with parents at Back to School Night. Have students write and record audio book reviews others can play on iPads or iTouches in the school library. If you have gifted students in your classroom, this tool is simple enough for even the youngest to be able to record audio mini-dramas portraying a historic figure, poetry readings, and more. Be sure to show them how to NAME and download the files to the local computer! Anything they can say out loud can become a creative project recording. Don't forget about recording musical performances or practices.

Take note! VideoNot.es is a collaborative notebook that will enhance your online learning experiences. Play a video file on the left side of the screen while typing notes in blank note-taking space on the right. You can't go wrong with this tool. Copy and paste a video URL from Khan Academy, Coursera, Udacity, Vimeo, or even YouTube. Play the video and start typing your notes! Each new line that you start writing on is time-coded to coincide with the video. After typing your notes, this noteworthy feature allows you to click on that line and the video will automatically jump to the spot that note was added. Imagine the time this will save you when reviewing your notes. Pause the video until the concept is understood and resume the video with keyboard shortcuts. VideoNot.es integrates with Google Drive. Save your notes in Google Drive to collaborate with friends and classmates. Collaboration with video information will revolutionize your online education and your experience in a flipped classroom. Note that this tool will not work if the video sharing service (such as YouTube) is blocked in your school.

In the Classroom

Flipping your classroom? You'll flip over this collaborative video note taking tool. Students watch videos and share notes with classmates so classroom time is more efficient. Use the qualitative information from the notes as well as quantitative data from pre-assessments to differentiate instruction. VideoNote.es is great for interactive formative and summative assessments. This is a great assistive technology tool for low-level readers to listen to questions as they type their responses. Use VideoNot.es to post online presentations and to type evaluations. This is a great tool to comment on multimedia projects created by students. Post video clips for students to analyze in all subject areas. Collaboration is easy with the Google Drive integration. Do your students lose their paper-and-pencil notes? Google Drive allows for optimal organization. Students and classes can combine their notes to create study guides for the lesson. Read more about Google Docs/Drive here.

Watch full length documentaries online for free. Find your favorites through daily suggestions, browsing the top 100, or searching categories: 9/11, activism, art, aviation, business, comedy, crime, disaster, drugs, economics, environmental, food/drink, health, media, medicine, music, nature, performing arts, philosophy, political, religion, science, social, sport, strange, technology, travel, and many more. Look at film festivals and films featured in each. If you do not find what you are looking for, submit your request. A link to Amazon brings you to DVD's. Some are free, and others are for sale.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Discover the power of documentaries while studying point of view, primary and secondary resources, and debate skills. Examine the aspects shown in documentaries and help students find structure to provide an unbiased research project. Challenge existing knowledge in many areas. Help students become active thinkers and become involved in current events. Sharpen your own understandings.

Let Freedom Swing is an inspirational site showing democracy and jazz as parallels. The videos are the creation of, and inspired by, retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Wynton Marsalis, musician, composer, educator and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. The three six-minute videos feature; "We the People," "E Pluribus Unum" (From Many, One), and "A More Perfect Union". A study guide for each video includes questions for discussion, teaching activities, and additional resources.

In the Classroom

Let Freedom Swing is ideal for social studies, humanities, and music classes in grades 6-12, although teachers may be able to adapt the materials for use with younger children. Use along with Common Core Standards to integrate art and music into the content area curriculum. Otherwise, use the website and ideas as a model for use in other subjects with the genre of music or art. Use in writing class to inspire writing in content areas. Find connections between the content areas of music or art. Use this to prompt the investigation of art or music in historical contexts or even in literary settings.

These intelligent, creative people have made incredibly cool analogies between jazz and democracy that enable your students to easily remember the branches of government and parts of the constitution. However, students often need time to think about unusual comparisons. Consider having the students watch the video at home with the questions embedded into the video. Use a program like Grokit/Answers, reviewed here, to achieve this. Also, for your quiet ones, consider having the classroom discussion via backchannel chat, giving everyone in the room a chance to have a voice. Use a program like Today's Meet, reviewed here, and project the discussion on your whiteboard (or projector), where everyone can see what everyone else is saying.

Color in my Piano is a piano teacher's blog for exchanging and finding resources. "Start Here" gives an overview of the most popular articles, teaching tips, and resources offered. Explore the large printables portion of the site to view and download worksheets, games, lesson plans, sheet music, and more. Search through an extensive reading list of articles and resources for teachers, parents, and students. Don't miss Wednesday's Words of Wisdom, featuring inspirational quotes for all. If piano music interests you, this site is a must-see! Note: some of the materials mentioned are for sale, but there is plenty for free.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Take advantage of the free lesson plans and worksheets for music classroom use. Search the Reading Lists for articles to share with students. Share (and discuss) Wednesday's Words of Wisdom. Use this site to differentiate for music students of all levels.

The WD-1 DJ-Trainer is an online musical tool to create a dance track. Select from 25 professional sound banks to make your own hip hop, techno, trance, reggae, rock, disco, jazz, or samba track. Learn about timing and "building" a song on this easy to use site. Start the samples and the loops using your keyboard or mouse to control the sounds. Help buttons are available for all the buttons. Make your own groove by controlling the loops and the time triggered sounds. This is a great site to make music magical and to fill up the dance floor. An iOS app is available -- for purchase.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use this site in music classes to teach musicians about timing and the layers of a track. Create songs or poems for any subject area and use the WD-1 DJ-Trainer to create a track to support the lyrics. Create a track that reflects the tone or mood of a poem and recite the poem with the track to integrate music with language arts. Record your track with GarageBand or Audacity because you're unable to save your tracks on WD-1 DJ-Trainer. Create tracks or have your students create tracks for morning announcements or transitions in the classroom. This would be a great site for improvisation in music class or the regular education classroom. Create tracks to support readers' theatre activities in the classroom. Have students create podcasts using a site such as Spreaker (reviewed here) or PodOmatic (reviewed here). Use the tracks created on this site in the background for the podcasts. Use music as a classroom management tool by recording "theme music" as cues for different transitions and activities. Teachers of gifted can challenge their students to tell a story in music using this tool.

Find many good ideas for including Skype in your classroom. See tips for making the most of your Skype experience and a video of an actual classroom Skype session with author Mike Artnell. Be sure to check out the embedded slide show that includes lots of tips for Skyping with students. The video clip is hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then it may not be viewable. You could always view the video at home and bring it to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid reviewed here to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

Bookmark and save this site to use as reference when setting up Skype calls. Share with other teachers during professional development sessions. After completing Skype sessions, have students create maps using Animaps (reviewed here). Students can add text, images, and location stops! Want to learn more about using Skype in the classroom? View TeachersFirst's OK2Ask: Skype archived webinar (here). This webinar is about 90 minutes long.

Skype as a Learning Call is a PDF loaded with information on using Skype calls in your classroom. Different pages include information such as what to do before, during, and after a call for both you and your students. Also included are student handouts to record information from calls. Be sure to check this out as an excellent resource for getting the most of your Skype learning experiences! Want to learn more about using Skype in the classroom? View TeachersFirst's OK2Ask Skype archived webinar (here). (This recording is about 90 minutes long.)

In the Classroom

Print or save this PDF to use as a resource with any Skype call. Use ideas from this site for assigning student jobs during Skyping. Use the student handouts as a resource for students to complete for post-assessment. Share this site with your Skype partner before your session so that you know each other's goals and objectives for the session.

Download and print many types of papers easily from Printable Paper. Lose the excuse, "I don't have any graph (or other) paper!" Choose from popular types such as lined paper (college or wide rule), several forms of graph paper, letter templates, and much more. Use the categories listing to find specific options to narrow your search such as different forms of penmanship paper, score sheets, or music papers. There are even several different comic page templates and storyboard templates for storytelling or story mapping. Click on any paper image to download in PDF format. A special heading for teacher resources includes lesson plan paper and more. The specialty papers include doorhanger patterns to decorate and cut out. Don't miss the printable games.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

This site is a must bookmark for classroom use. Use anytime you need graph paper, writing paper, music sheets, etc. Share a link on your classroom website for student use at home. Share this site with parents at Back to School Night. Share this site with older students the first week of school. Now there is no excuse for not doing homework because of not having the correct type of paper! Some of the papers have alternate uses, such as using quilting graph paper to create and study geometric shapes.

Do you wish you had enough time in your schedule for one-on-one personalized writing conferences with your students or writers you know? Kaizena (previously 121Writing) can make that dream a reality. Kaizena allows you to give feedback on writing via an audio recording. Writers often have difficulty reading the margin notes from teachers or other readers, or they need more explanation. An audio recording of the feedback provides a personalized experience to enhance the writing process. Kaizena works best by synching with your Google Drive account. There is an option at the bottom of the page to sign up by sending in your name and email address. However, this can take a while, so plan ahead! Sign in with your Google account to watch a helpful video and learn how to connect to your Google Drive account or school Google Apps account.

Start by highlighting a text selection, hit record, and provide your feedback. Writers will be able to listen to your feedback and revise or edit their writing as though you were face to face. Tag your highlighted text with keywords that can be tracked in a mastery-based rubric. You could tag conventional errors, mistakes, or selections that are amazing. Verbal feedback can be played on an iPad so students can listen in the best learning environment to meet their needs. Writers will progress as you enhance the writing process with explicit audio feedback. Kaizena can enhance feedback for written work for any school subject or even outside of school.

In the Classroom

Editing and revising are better with audio feedback. Provide explicit details to improve student performance. Students can record peer edits and share audio recordings with classmates. Classroom time is more efficient and effective when students can listen to your feedback before meeting face to face. Have students highlight passages of text and provide their reflections on the selection. World language classes can speak text or respond to questions in their new language. Learning support students will better understand audio feedback on their writing than detailed comments written in "teacher-ese." This is a great tool for students to highlight poetry and record their thoughts and feelings on the text. Students can highlight and record their thought process as they solve math word problems. Highlight and record opinions on current event articles. Highlight an entire passage of text to model reading fluency. Students can listen and read along with the recording to help with phrasing and expression. Highlight text and model fluency for ESL/ELL students. Highlight assessment questions or text for lower-level readers to provide a level playing field in the classroom. Challenge students to provide audio feedback to their peers on passages where they would like to know more, questions they have as readers, and positive feedback on passages they enjoy.

3D Toad offers many images for viewing items in both 3D and 360 degree rotation. The site offers an assortment of categories such as Dissections, Human and Animal Skeletons, Fossils, and an extensive listing of Chemicals. There are also categories not typically associated with a "toad" such as: Yoga, Music, Dental Hygiene, History, Ballet Positions, Computer Networking, Emergency Preparedness, and more! The History link is interesting and includes American 1700-1800 and American Civil War: both packed with artifacts. Choose any image then drag your mouse to view or zoom in and out as desired.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use 3D Toad as a visual glossary on classroom computers. Have students visit this "visual glossary" center to explore objects and new vocabulary that they are learning. View and examine objects together on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Choose an area/topic that relates to what you are learning about in class. Have each student choose an object from that area to observe and explore to heighten observation skills. Challenge students to create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here.